One of my new friends, Ginny, who came into my life through canning and gardening was ready to take on the work of pressure canning meats. One of the recipes that she loves is the german favorite, Sauerbraten. Sauerbraten is traditionally a pot roast, usually of beef (but other meats such as venison, lamb,mutton, and pork are sometimes used), marinated before cooking in a mixture of vinegar, water, spices and seasonings. Our collaborative thoughts were not whether the meat could be pressure canned in the vinegar, but whether the flavor would be just as good when final preparation of this stew was put together. Over a Sunday we canned together the meat, vinegar, and spices and processed the meat based on pressure canning processes for beef stew which uses similar carrot and onions.

Now I have not had the stew before but I tasted the vinegar mixture it was a good blend of the cider and red wine and I felt with some time on the shelf with the meat that this would be a great addition to anyone's pantry.

About six days after doing the meat, Ginny opened one of the jars and completed the recipe and said though the vinegar was a bit strong since we didn't wait very long but the flavor was incredible and the meat was tender and juicy. Enjoy!

Directions

In a large saucepan over high heat combine the water, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, sugar, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut and cube the bottom round and set aside. Cut carrots and onions and layer a small amount of both the vegetables into each pint jar. The add the raw meat to each pint filling to about 3/4 full. Pick out the bay leaves. Ladle the hot marinade of vinegar into the jars. Remove the air from the jars and refill if necessary so that the liquid has 1" headspace. Wipe rims with papertowel that has vinegar on it to ensure that the rims are clean. Add hot lids/rings and put jars in pressure canner.

Place jars in pressure canner. Lock lid and bring to a boil over medium heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes. Process pints for 75 minutes at 10lbs for a weighted gauge and 90 minutes for quarts. For a dial gauge canner process at 11lbs of pressure for the same amounts of time. Make sure to adjust for altitude. See chart in Pressure Canning tab.To finish the recipe, in a stainless steel pot add meat and marinade emptying the contents of the jar. Cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and keep warm. Strain the liquid to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Add the raisins if desired. Add the meat and serve with the sauce.

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Altitude Adjustments

The gel point method is also noted in many cookbooks and is a process to test the gel of a jam, jelly or preserve. There are two methods of testing using a spoon or a plate.

SHEET TEST

Dip a cold metal spoon into the boiling soft spread. Lift the spoon and hold it horizontally with edge down so that the syrup runs off the edge. As the mixture cooks, the drops will become heavier and will drop off the spoon separately but two at a time. When the two drops join together and “sheet” off the spoon, the gel stage has been reached.

FREEZER TEST

Chill a small saucers in the freezer. Place a teaspoonful of soft spread on the chilled saucer and place in the freezer for 1 minute. Remove the saucer from the freezer and push the edge of the spread with your finger. A mixture that has reached the gel stage will be set, and the surface will wrinkle when the edge is pushed.